Welcome to the show

The Real to Reel International Film Festival is almost here. Directors and filmgoers are gearing up to attend the event which begins Wednesday and runs through Saturday at the Joy Performance Center in Kings Mountain. Each night, film showings will begin at 7 p.m. and a Saturday matinee will also run at 1 p.m.

The Real to Reel International Film Festival is almost here. Directors and filmgoers are gearing up to attend the event which begins Wednesday and runs through Saturday at the Joy Performance Center in Kings Mountain. Each night, film showings will begin at 7 p.m. and a Saturday matinee will also run at 1 p.m.

As a member of the film committee, I can say there are some great films in this year’s festival. And over the past few months, I’ve given you an inside look into some of those films through my column. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure which films would make the final cut. But now, we know the lineup. Some of these I’ve talked about before, but just in case you missed them, here is a selection of the films you cannot afford to miss this year and a schedule for all the showings.

And don’t forget, the festival also includes a silent auction for movie-related memorabilia, raffle drawings and an awards party. Concessions include not just your typical popcorn, but also beer, wine, coffee and pizza. Best of all, you can arrive on a red carpet and get your picture made like a star. I wouldn’t miss this golden opportunity.

Reach Molly Phipps at 704-669-3339, at mphipps@shelbystar.com or on Twitter @MollyAPhipps.

Baldwin

12-minute short

Baldwin is the story of a boy who desperately wants someone back in his life, and the odd companion who attempts to become that someone. Its futuristic overtones, with the boy’s friend, a robot, are fascinatingly crafted. It reminded me of films like “I, Robot” and “Robot and Frank.” We’re close to that technology now, but we can only imagine what it will mean to us later.

The Last Ocean

87-minute documentary

The Ross Sea is known as “the most pristine marine ecosystem on earth,” according to lastocean.org. But that ecosystem is being threatened by fisheries from 27 different countries, whose concentrated fishing in the Ross Sea is depleting its supply of the Antarctic toothfish, which in turn affects the other animals that call Antarctica home. The people behind this documentary are campaigning and raising awareness so that a Marine Protection Act will be placed on the Ross Sea to save it.

Overlooked Suspect: What If O.J. Simpson Didn’t Do It?

60-minute documentary

With the many recent trials with a national focus, such as the Arias and the Zimmerman trials, it’s timely for a film to be made about O.J. Simpson. This documentary follows a detective searching for the truth and presenting evidence that he believes supports the idea that O.J. Simpson was innocent.

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A World of Difference

8-minute short

This animated short follows a miniature man as he warps through time and space searching for truth and meaning. It’s completely up to interpretation, like any work of art, and lets you find your own meaning for the film once you’ve seen it. I’m not sure I’ve found mine yet.

Chairworks

24-minute short

This film is shockingly violent. A psychiatrist develops a new “therapy” for his patients in which the patients personify a complete stranger as the person who has hurt them the most. The stranger sits in a wheelchair and is unable to speak, so the patients are able to identify him as the object of their anger. They scream at him, strike him, knock him out of his chair, and even sexually abuse him. Yet the patients seem to progress with this type of therapy, and love their psychiatrist for it. In the end, an interesting plot twist turns everything upside down.

BATHANTI

72-minute documentary

Pittsburghnative and North Carolina Poet Laureate Joseph Bathanti travels with filmmaker Kevin Balling to the places that inform Bathanti’s poetry, novels, short stories, and essays. From the streets of Pittsburgh to the rural landscapes of North Carolina, the film reveals Bathanti’s influences, inspirations, and literary style. The film also presents readings of the author’s work, interpreted through location footage, photos, archival film, text and soundtrack.

Spring Eddy

102-minute feature

After Eddy fails to pay back a mobster the money he owes him, Eddy decides to skip town. His plan is to go for Mexico, but he ends up getting stuck in jail in Wynot, Texas. His fiancé, Jeannie, comes to bail him – or break him – out of jail, but the plan doesn’t work. Interestingly enough, Jeannie falls in love with someone else while in Wynot. And Eddy eventually gets to decide to escape across the border to Mexico.

THE SCHEDULE

Wednesday, July 24, 7 p.m.

Intermission

Thursday, July 25, 7 p.m.

Intermission

Friday, July 26, 7 p.m.

Intermission

Saturday, July 27

1 p.m. matinee

Intermission

7 p.m.

Intermission

About the Real to Reel International Film Festival

Dates:7 p.m., July 24-26; 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., July 27

Location:Joy Performance Center, 202 S. Railroad Ave., Kings Mountain

Tickets:$8 per day in advance; $10 at the door; Festival Pass, $30 in advance, $35 at the door

Information:Real to Reel is a production of the Cleveland County Arts Council. For more information, call the Arts Council at 704-484-2787 or visit the website at